(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer which prints the data input through an external terminal onto recording paper and prints the data captured through a scanner onto recording paper.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Recently, in the OA equipment use environment, a printer or multi-functional apparatus having a printer function is connected to various kinds of terminals such as personal computers, different types of portable terminals, facsimile machines and the like, using a network. The printer, when receiving a print request of data to be recorded from these terminals, and produces printouts of their data onto recording paper. Further, a printer or multi-functional apparatus has a copier function, that is, the function of scanning original images and print them on recording paper. However, referring to practical situations of such printers or multi-functional apparatus being used, a large number of recording sheets with various records of data and images printed thereon are presented together at the paper output port. Therefore, when coming and taking the necessary recording paper of records of data or images, the users must seek the necessary paper from the stacks of recording paper.
To deal with such a situation, in a facsimile machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Sho 63 No. 18911, a multiple number of output receptacles for receiving recording sheets are provided to distinguish one output from others depending on the operational modes such as printer mode, facsimile mode, copier mode and the like. In this case, recording paper will not cause mix-up outside their operational modes. However, in view of each operational mode, there are still cases where a large number of recording sheets become piled up. Particularly, for the printer function, which receives data to be recorded from external terminals and makes recordings the users are usually present away from the place where the machine is. Therefore many sheets of recording paper are liable to be left behind and pile up because it takes time for the users to come and pick the paper up or some users may forget all about it without fetching the recording paper.
In the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 10 No. 16355, the print server receives data to be recorded from external terminals via the network and stores and manages the data and when a user having an ID card approaches the print server, it detects the ID number from this ID card and searches for the data specified with that ID number and records the data on the recording paper. In this case, since printing of data starts when the user comes to the print server, it is possible to avoid a large number of recorded sheets piling up and being left behind.
The print server of the above conventional system dedicatedly functions to print out the data from external terminals, without having other functions such as a copier function etc., as stated above. That is, this conventional system is not the one which totally manages print requests from different terminals and print requests for copying operations.
Moreover, the above conventional facsimile only deals with multiple print requests in the order of their occurrences and has nothing over and above that function. The above conventional system with the print server deals with a print request only when the user approaches the print server and has nothing over and above that function. Therefore, the combination of these technologies will not be able to realize management of giving priority to one of print requests over others as appropriate when a multiple number of printing requests occur at almost the same time.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above conventional problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of managing to sequentially process a multiple number of print requests from a variety of terminals and for copying operations, by appropriately giving priority to these print requests.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows:
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a printer connected to a terminal device via a network line, includes: a display means, wherein a message input through the terminal device is given to the printer via the network line so that the message is displayed in the display means.
In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, a printer having a multiple number of input functional devices connected thereto and producing printouts from the data to be recorded input through these input functional devices, includes:
an identifying means which identifies the user when a user of one of the input functional devices approaches the printer;
a comparing means which, after the user is identified by the identifying means, compares the priority of the input functional device of the user with that of another input functional device through which other data to be recorded has been input to the printer, based on the priority rules determined beforehand in relation with the input functional devices; and
a job interrupt means which starts the printing of the data to be recorded input through the input functional device of the user by making a job interrupt when the priority of the input functional device of the user is determined by the comparing means to be higher than that of the other input functional device through which other data to be recorded has been input to the printer.
In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, a printer having the above second feature further includes: a display means which, while printing of a job is being implemented by job interrupt, displays the identification data identifying the user and that the printing job in progress is implemented in a job interrupt mode.
In accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a printer having a multiple number of input functional devices connected thereto and producing printouts from the data to be recorded input through these input functional devices, includes:
an identifying means which identifies the user when a user of one of the input functional devices approaches the printer;
a usage status displaying means which, after the user is identified by the identifying means, displays the input functional device of the identified user and another input functional device through which other data to be recorded has been input to the printer;
a control means for designating job interrupt for implementation of the printing job of the data input through the input functional device of the user; and
a job interrupt means which, when job interrupt is designated by the control means, starts the printing of the data input through the input functional device of the user by making an interrupt.
In accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention, a printer having the above second or fourth feature further includes: a notifying means for giving a notice as to the print status of the other input functional device through which data to be recorded has been input to external terminals.
In accordance with the sixth aspect of the present invention, a printer having the above second or fourth feature further includes: a message display means for displaying messages from external terminals.
In accordance with the seventh aspect of the present invention, a printer having the above second or fourth feature further includes: a log and user name display means for displaying past records of printing operations of the printer and the users identified by the identifying means.
In accordance with the eighth aspect of the present invention, a printer having the above second or fourth feature further includes: a notifying means for giving information as to past records of printing operations of the printer and the users identified by the identifying means, to external terminals.
According to the present invention thus configured, when a user approaches the printer, this user is identified so as to determine whether the priority of the input functional device of the user is higher than the other input functional device through which data to be recorded has been input. If the priority of the input functional device of this user is higher than the others, the printing of the data input through the input functional device of the user is started by making an interrupt. For example, suppose the input functional device of a user is an external terminal that supplies data to be recorded to the printer via the network and another input functional device is an entity that scans original images by the copier function and supplies data to the printer. When a user approaches the printer after those data have been sent to be recorded from the external terminal and is identified and if the input functional device of the user has a higher priority, the printing of the data sent from the external terminal is started by interrupting the printing of images by the copier function even if it is in progress. Therefore, the user dose not have to wait.
Further, in the present invention, provision of the display means makes it possible for the user to correctly and immediately notice the occurrence of the job interrupt so that it is possible to timely collect the printed sheets of the data produced by the job interrupt mode from those produced by the interrupted job, avoiding mix-up of one by the other. Further this configuration makes it possible for two or more users, if approaching the printer at the same time, to know whose job of data is being currently implemented.
Moreover, in the present invention, if a user approaches the printer, this user is identified so that the input functional device of the user and other input functional device through which data to be recorded has been input are displayed. When printing of the data input through the input functional device of the user is commanded to start by making an interrupt, the printing of the data is started in the job interrupt mode. For example, suppose the input functional device of a user is an external terminal that supplies data to be recorded to the printer via the network and another input functional device is an entity that scans original images by the copier function and supplies data to the printer. When a user approaches the printer after those data have been sent to be recorded from the external terminal and is identified, the printing of the data of the user is started in response to the command of allowing the printing job of the data of the user to make an interrupt, by interrupting the printing of images by the copier function. Therefore, the user dose not have to wait.
Since a job interrupt is designated by the user, it is possible to make an interrupt taking into account the printing status of images by the copier function. Therefore, the user is able to avoid an abrupt interruption.
Still more, since the print status and messages can be exchanged between the printer and external terminals and displayed in both, it is possible on the external terminal side to determine whether a job interrupt for a printing job may be approved without going to the printer site. Also it is possible to send a message from a user on one external terminal to other printer users.
Finally, according to the present invention, the display means and notifying means for displaying and notifying the information of the identified user are further provided. The past records of printing operations and the user identified by the identifying means are mere examples of the print status. Based on the print status, it is possible to postulate the person involved, if, for example, someone by mistake carried away a printout of another person. In such a case, an e-mail of the inquiry message can be sent via the network to the terminal of the person, or the terminals of all the people, who might have carried away the printout by mistake.